Fear, frustration haunt ethnic people in Joypurhat

Fear grips the ethnic people in Sealpara village under Akkelpur upazila of Joypurhat following the murder of one of them on Tuesday after series of attacks to grab their land since January this year.

Criminals slit the throat of 62-year-old Mohanlal Pahan on Tuesday. Police recovered his body and sent it to Joypurhat Modern Hospital for autopsy.

Ujjal Pahan, nephew of Mohanlal, said his uncle was going to a court in Joypurhat, but land grabbers killed him on the way. He added that his uncle inherited 36 bighas of land from his father, of which 20 bighas comprise water bodies and 16 bighas are arable land. 

Selim Mahbub Sajal, chairman of Tilakpur Union Parishad under Akkelpur upazila, said Bangalees of the area had been claiming his land.

Leaders of the Joypurhat unit of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad (JAP) organised a press conference on July 31 at Joypurhat Press Club, where they alleged that the ethnic people of Sealpara village came under attack several times since January 8 this year. Besides, 12 cases were filed against them to harass them. 

The land grabbers filed a case with Joypurhat Police Station in 2008, claiming the land.

The grabbers along with 60 hired goons went to Sealpara village on January 8 this year and ransacked the houses of Mohanlal and his relatives. They also killed the fish in Mohanlal's ponds with poison and uprooted the plants and paddy on his 16 bighas of land.

Carrying sharp weapons and hockey sticks, around 100 people attacked the village on July 27 to oust the ethnic people. They mercilessly beat up the people and ransacked and looted their houses.

"The criminals threatened to kill us if we do not leave the place," said Shyamal Pahan, a villager.

They did not get any help from the police despite requests, alleged the indigenous people.

"They were forcing us to sign papers and taking thumb prints to take away the land," said Mohanlal Pahan on August 2.

Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Akkelpur Police Station, said no case regarding the killing had been filed as of writing this report.

Dudu Soren, 56, an indigenous man of Kachua village under Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur, was stabbed to death on August 2 at Hili Dangapara area in the upazila allegedly by some land grabbers.

Panic was prevailing among the ethnic people after the incident, said JAP President Rabindranath Soren.